Veterinary and Pest Control Services is one of the key departments at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The department is mandated to monitor abattoirs, combat the spread of zoonotic diseases and protect the lives of animals in Nigeria.

According to a document obtained from the department, the government has invested heavily in equipping the department and ensuring the safety of people and animals, especially in the areas to curb zoonotic diseases.

The document stated that the federal government has built and equipped one Federal Veterinary Medical Center (FVMC) in Kano for research in animal health and provision of quality animal health care service delivery at the secondary level for improved animal health care and welfare and improved livestock production and productivity.

Furthermore, it stated that there was also the construction and equipping of 17 Primary Animal Health Centers (PAHCs) in Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Zamfara, Edo, Cross/River, Plateau, Niger, Kebbi, Adamawa, Enugu. Taraba, Bauchi and Akwa-Ibom States and provide essential veterinary drugs and Medicare for the manufactured PAHCs to support the states in providing quality animal health care service delivery at the grassroots level for improved livestock production and productivity

It said the government has built “14 Standard Live Birds Markets with Poultry Meat Processing Units in Bayelsa, Adamawa, Niger, AkwaIbom, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kano, Katsina, Edo, Rivers, Kwara, Ondo, Gombe and Yobe States as part of the strategy for the prevention and control of bird flu (Bird flu) and other poultry diseases for the creation of jobs along the poultry value chain as well as to ensure hygienic processing of poultry meat to ensure safety and wholesomeness of poultry meat

“Renovated/upgraded abattoir/slaughterhouses in Plateau, Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Kaduna, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun States to ensure supply of safe and wholesome meat for human consumption.

“Established and equipped 2nos bee demonstration centers in Kogi and FCT for production of quality honey and beehives for domestic use and export.

“Conducted pilot dog census in 6 states (Adamawa, Cross River, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kebbi and Imo) to determine the dog population in the country which is critical in the planning and implementation of the program for the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies in Nigeria is in line with the global target for the eradication of rabies by 2030.

“Provide and use 8,500 liters of disinfectants for the prevention and control of African swine fever for improved production and productivity of the pigs in pig-producing states.

“Provide various vaccination equipment and consumables: automatic and disposable syringes/needles, diluent, vaccine extenders support states for effective field vaccination exercises,” the statement said.

The government also provided laboratory reagents for the diagnosis and control of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases (Bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis), provided and used 187,300 liters of different pesticides for the control of transboundary pests, thereby mitigating the destructive effect of migratory pests on crops. fields to ensure harvest and ensure food and nutrition security.

It further said that the government provided and utilized 2,886 flight hours for the control of cross-border plague in 12 frontline states (Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara), which was deployed. 14nos 4 wheel drive (Hilux vehicle) equipped with mounted rig for desert locust and other transboundary pest surveillance and response in frontline states to mitigate the devastating effect of migratory pests on croplands to ensure a good harvest and food and nutrition security to ensure.

Also according to the document, the government has deployed five Project Vehicles for animal health and disease surveillance activities in Northern and Southern Zones for the control of transboundary animal diseases for improved production and productivity of livestock resources.

The government carried out environmental impact assessment of pesticide use in frontline states (Kebbi, Jigawa, Gombe, Taraba, Kano, Yobe, Sokoto, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Niger).

It also used 850 hours for ground control of Tsetse flies in Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos and FCT for the control of trypanasomosis, a devastating disease of livestock

Updated the map of Tsetse fly infestation in the country

There was also the provision of 12.5 million PPR, 5 million CBPP, 5,000 FMD, 5 million NCD and 350,000 Anti-rabies vaccines to support 36 states and the FCT to increase coverage of annual mass vaccination of livestock against to ensure major transboundary animal diseases (TADs).

“Provide veterinary diagnostic equipment to support 1no central laboratory at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Vom, Plateau State and 11nos Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Sokoto State, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State , University of Ilorin, Kwara State, University of Abuja, FCT and University of Jos, Plateau State.

“Support 11 nos Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (UDUS, ABU, UI, UNIMAID, UNIILORIN, UNIJOS, UNN, UniABUJA, UniAGRIC ABK, UniAgric MKD, UniAgric Umudike) with various clinical materials and consumables to aid teaching of clinical disease students and diagnosis of animal disease

“Supported states with different vaccination equipment, supported states with different postmortem and surgical tools, provided equipment for establishment of honey and beeswax collection and certification center for exporters, trained 500nos abattoir workers on biosecurity and biocontainment protocols for 19 states selected states, Adamawa , Borno, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Kaduna, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo and Ogun).

“Incinerators supplied and installed in 10nos built animal health centers (Edo, C/River, Plateau, Niger, Kebbi, Jigawa, Adamawa, Enugu, Taraba and Bauchi).

“Provided meat inspection inputs for 19 abattoirs/slaughterhouses in selected states (Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Kaduna, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo & Ogun).

“Develop and produce National Control Strategy document for Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF), Animal trypanosomosis and tick-borne diseases (AT&TBDs), and National Rabies Strategic Plan/Guidelines” , added the document.

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